


Mr. & Mr. Williams-McGarrett (McDanno's Twins // Season 1, Episode 7)

by OTP_Obsessed



Series: Hawaii Five-O: 'At-Home' Mini-Series (McDanno's Twins) [10]
Category: Hawaii (TV), Hawaii Five-0 (2010), McDanno - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angsty Schmoop, COLLEGE IS A MESS, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hawaii Five-0 Big Bang, Hurt/Comfort, I Love You, I'm Bad At Tagging, IM SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE!, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Romance, Same-Sex Marriage, Schmoop, Steve McGarrett - Freeform, THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE!, danny williams - Freeform, i hope you enjoy!, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:14:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTP_Obsessed/pseuds/OTP_Obsessed
Summary: On a warm summer day in July, the Five-Ohana are hearing wedding bells and celebrating the love of Steve and Danny. But...are they really?>> This episode is dedicated to "sue2556." Thank you for the suggestions and I hope all is going well! <3  <<
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: Hawaii Five-O: 'At-Home' Mini-Series (McDanno's Twins) [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841155
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Mr. & Mr. Williams-McGarrett (McDanno's Twins // Season 1, Episode 7)

**Author's Note:**

> So sorry this took so long to write. College is a mess right now! Thank you all for being SOOOO patient with me, I love you all so much. I do hope this was worth the wait! 
> 
> As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. :-)
> 
> **THIS EPISODE IS CURRENTLY BEING REWORKED AND/OR EDITED TO FIT 100% TRUSTED, FAN SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.  
> AN UPDATED VERSION WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.**

Danny watched his reflection in the mirror, intensely, pulling his off-white linen slacks up his legs. A light-brown leather belt, dangling from the belt loops, clinked sporadically as he settled the pants into place. Danny slid up the zipper, locked the button with a soft ‘click,’ and pulled on the belt, securing the pants to his waist. He tucked the excess belt under the square buckle and held it down with the metal pin. Danny double-tapped the belt buckle—just to double-check—then, looked beside him and reached out for the light-turquoise dress shirt, laid out on the bed beside him. He scooped up the shirt with his fingers and threw it over his shoulders, sticking his arms into the sleeves. Danny rolled his shoulders back, settling the shirt against his back, then, fastened the buttons of the shirt together, stopping to leave the top two detached. Then, one at a time, he folded in the cuffs and rolled the baggy sleeves up his arm, tucking them in place just below the bend in his elbow. Danny, slightly, tugged around the edges of the fold to straighten them out. He brushed out the wrinkles from his shirt and pants, then, looked to the light-brown canvas dress shoes waiting for him by the edge of the bed. 

When he looked back to his reflection, Danny smirked with the corner of his mouth. This was really happening, wasn’t it? 

Danny admired his likeness for a moment, then, reached up for the lei hanging from the edge of the mirror. When the yellow hibiscus and blue-violet flower necklace—yellow for Hawaii, blue for Jersey—slid down to his wrist, Danny stopped to listen to the jumbled banter happening outside. He shuffled across the bedroom floor and peered out the window for a better view. Outside, everything was perfect. 

The pacific waves splashed against the shore, creating a beautiful backdrop behind a square, wooden, arch that was adorned by a rope canopy and accented with BoHo greenery arrays. An arrangement of three white lanterns was placed beside each of the arch’s feet, next to a touch more potted greenery for accent, and a blue-and-white, striped beach blanket was laid out under the arch. Two sets of ten wooden fold-out chairs were set up on either side of the front of the arch, in rows of three, and every end chair was accented with a greenery and rope arrangement. To the left of the arch, was a fold-out table, draped in light-blue and green drapes and stacked with gifts. 

Beside the table of gifts, Kono, Adam, and Chin were sharing a few drinks and a few laughs. Chin peered up to the window, where he saw Danny looking down on them, and tipped his glass of champagne up to him. Danny smirked, quickly, and flashed a wave back to him. Chuckling, Danny went to admire the rest of the view and spotted Rachel stepping of the lanai. Danny’s eyes widened, as he watched her greet the others with hugs and friendly kisses. Rachel hugged Chin last and glanced up to the bedroom window. She ogled Danny for a moment, then a smile spread over her face as she waved her fingertips, tenderly, up to her ex to greet him.  
Even though Danny really wanted to reciprocate the greeting—because it was nice to see she had decided to accept his invitation—seeing Rachel only brought back all the doubts about today that he thought he’d worked to overcome. So, instead of a smile, Danny sighed and plopped down onto the bed. He turned to find a picture, on the bedside table, of himself jumping into the arms of Steve, who was pressing a kiss into his cheek, while they both gave an overjoyed smile to the camera. Danny chuckled, softly, remembering the day that picture had been taken—it was a year ago, the moment he’d asked Steve to marry him—then, frowned, wondering why the feelings he knew he had in that picture, suddenly, scared him. 

It was, then, he heard a light knock on the door. He lifted his head to find Rachel peaking her head inside. “Danny?” she said, softly, “Everything alright?”  
Instead of answering, Danny just gawked at Rachel, mulling over the conversation they had just a week ago.

~*~

ONE WEEK AGO

“Daniel?” Rachel queried, answering the late-night knock on her front door. Half-asleep, she fought back a yawn, as she crossed her arms and leaned against the edge of the door, surveying her ex-husband with heavy eyes. Danny paced around the porch with panic in his eyes and anxiety in his hands. His breathing was unsteady and she could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Though he tried to act as if everything was okay, the shine of sweat on his forehead and cheeks, told a different story. Rachel’s heart started to race as all the “what if’s” raced into her mind. Her eyes widened as she pushed herself off the door, becoming fully alert. “What’s happened? Is it Grace?” she asked, urgently. 

Danny’s eyes met Rachel’s as soon as she muttered their daughter’s name. In his troubled state, he’d completely forgotten that he and Steve had had Grace over this weekend. But she wasn’t the reason for his visit. Thank God. “Grace is fine,” Danny said, shaking his head and putting Rachel’s mind at ease. 

“Then, what’s going on?” Rachel asked, gently, knowing this had to be serious if he was coming to her at three in the morning, even though he was engaged to Steve.  
Danny stopped pacing and put his hands on his hip, shaking his head at the ground. He let out a heavy sigh and frowned. “It’s Steve,” he said, flatly, peering up at Rachel with dense eyes. “I don’t know if I can go through with the wedding next week.” He scoffed, gutlessly, shaking his head to the sky, and started to pace around the porch, again.

Rachel leaned back against the door marveled at Danny, for a moment. She hadn’t seen him this worked up since the day they told Grace they were splitting up. But even the dread in his eyes on that day could not compare to the absence of all hope he had in them now. Rachel looked to the ground and frowned. As much as a piece of her still missed Danny—and wanted him back in her life completely—it was clear that his heart belonged to someone else now; he had never expressed this much stress over her before. But, just because he’d moved on didn’t mean she couldn’t still be there for him, as a friend. And, by the trepidation in his eyes, she knew a friend was all he needed right now. “It’s quite normal to have cold feet, Danny,” she said, softly, opening her door completely. She peered up to meet her ex’s eyes and reached out a hand to steady his restlessness, taking his arm in her hand. Danny stopped frowned. Rachel caressed his bicep, soothingly, and smiled. “Want to talk? I’ll put on some tea?” 

Danny nodded with a thankful, yet still panicked, smile. “Thank you, Rach.” 

A little while later, Rachel found herself bundled up, with her feet propped up beside her on the couch, underneath a soft, blanket, watching Danny wander around the room, unsure where to put his hands as he spoke, as he expressed his concerns to her, while, also, trying not to disturb Charlie, who was fast asleep in the other room. “I’m just so confused,” Danny stated, anxiously, throwing his hands into the air. “I mean, I love Steve, that I know, otherwise I never would have asked him to marry me in the first place. But, now that the day is almost here and I’ve had more time to think about it, I just…I just don’t know if I can go through with it anymore.” Danny sighed, deeply, and fell onto the couch beside Rachel, lifting her feet and placing them on his lap. He shook his head and caressed her legs, gently, with his fingertips. “I mean, why am I doing this, Rachel?” he asked, softly. “I’m not gay.” 

Rachel placed her elbow on the arm of the couch and rested her head against her fingers. “I don’t think that matters,” she grinned back to Danny. “Marriage isn’t about being with someone because of the parts they do or don’t have, it’s about wanting to spend your life with someone you care deeply for and couldn’t imagine your life without.” Rachel sat up and scooted herself beside Danny, taking his hand in hers. She locked their fingers together and rested her head against his shoulder. “You and Steve have something special, Danny,” she said, caressing the side of Danny’s hand with her thumb. “The way you two look at each other? Or how you bicker with one another? You’re not just working partners, Danny, you’re meant to be together, in everyday life, too. I mean, how would you feel if you got news that Steve passed away?” 

Danny knew the answer to the question hurt too much to even think about. So, he shrugged and played with Rachel’s fingers so he wouldn’t have to. “Was it by his own hand or someone else’s?” he asked, dodging the question. 

“Daniel…” Rachel scoffed, softly, pulling her hand away from her ex. Danny sighed and turned his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. Rachel placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder and gave him a soft, sympathetic squeeze. She leaned forward and frowned. “…Does it really matter?” she asked, softly, almost scolding him. 

Danny dropped his head and sighed. “No, it doesn’t,” he breathed, dejectedly, turning back to Rachel. “But that’s because he’s my best friend.”

“We both know he’s more than that, Daniel,” Rachel said, patting Danny’s leg, certainly. She rose from the couch and crossed the living room, disappearing in the kitchen. Danny lifted his eyes towards the kitchen, watching for her to return, then, followed Rachel back to the couch, when she returned to the living room carrying a fresh cup of tea. “It’s okay to be nervous about getting married for many reasons, Danny because heaven knows they really don’t stand well in history,” Rachel sighed, returning to her place on the couch. She propped her feet back on Danny’s lap and smiled, “But, it’s not every day you get to marry your best friend. You must know, deep down, that’s why you asked him to marry you in the first place. You two need each other, regardless if you’ve got a piece of paper to make it official.” 

Danny nodded. “Maybe you’re right,” he smiled. He caressed Rachel’s leg, for a moment, then, stopped and wrinkled his brow. “But are you sure I’m not settling because I’ve had terrible luck with girls?”

Rachel set her tea onto the table, then, leaned over to take Danny’s hands in hers. She wrapped her hands around Danny’s, sandwiching his hands inside hers. “Danny, do you ever think the reason for that is maybe because you’re not supposed to be with a girl?” she asked, gently, locking their fingers together. Danny pondered this a moment. Then, Rachel said, “I may not know him as well as you do but McGarrett doesn’t seem like one to suddenly ‘settle’ for a guy because he got tired of waiting for the right woman. I don’t think he would have agreed to go through with this if he didn’t feel the exact way about you that you do for him.” 

Danny chuckled from his nose. “No, no, he would not,” he said, shaking his head in agreement. Danny caressed Rachel’s hands with his thumbs, a moment. Then, he sighed and lifted them to his lips, kissing them softly. Rachel grinned. Danny met Rachel’s eyes and smiled, “Thank you, Rachel.” 

Rachel nodded and, lightly, stroked Danny’s arm. She smiled and kissed his cheek, “Glad I could help, Dan—” 

~*~

“—Danny?” Rachel called out again, pushing the bedroom door open a bit further. Danny flickered his eyes, coming back to reality, and glanced up at Rachel, who was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. Danny finally flashed her that smile he’d been wanting to and gestured his head for her to come over to him. Rachel chuckled and shook her head. She shuffled across the room and sat down on the bed next to Danny, then, ran her hand, gingerly, along Danny’s thigh. “It’s almost time,” she smiled. Danny smirked and locked their fingers together. Rachel watched for a moment, as her ex caressed the side of her hand with his thumb and stared, blankly, at their joined hands, then, stroked his bicep, protectively. “You ready?” she asked, tilting her head towards him.

Danny sighed, softly, then, shifted her hair behind her ear and smiled. “More than ever,” he nodded. Rachel shifted on the bed and pulled her hands away to lift the lei off Danny’s wrist. Danny lowered his head and Rachel placed the necklace around his neck. Danny lifted his head and looked back to Rachel, as she rose off the bed and gestured her hand out to him. Danny chuckled, softly, and turned away to peer out the window a moment. Though he couldn’t see what was going on, from where he was sitting, he knew that the growing chatter outside meant that, in just a few moments, he’d be marrying his best friend and starting his new life as a McGarrett. And, as much as that thought made his heart race and the butterflies race around in his stomach, he knew, deep down, there was nothing else in the world he wanted. Danny turned back to Rachel and took her hand into his. “I guess we better not keep them waiting any longer then,” he smiled, squeezing her hand, gratefully. 

********

Rachel hooked her arm around Danny’s, as she lead him downstairs, into the living room of Steve’s house. Waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase was Grace, wearing a cream-colored pouf dress, garnished with an assortment of light-pink flowers starting at her left shoulder and crossing down to her right hip. Her hair had been pulled back into a side ponytail braid, which she had pinned in place with a flower crown, that matched the pattern of Danny’s lei, and was tied at the bottom with a pink bowtie. She had a blue and yellow corsage on her right wrist and held a small, white box in her left.

Danny and Rachel smiled at Grace, then, turned and locked eyes with each other. For a moment, both their faces beamed, as they, silently, read each other’s minds. It was true that their relationship had been full of flaws and wasn’t meant to be—for whatever reason—but the smiles in both their eyes confirmed that Grace was the one thing they had done right. The pair turned back to Grace, then, Danny freed his arm from Rachel and crouched to Grace’s eye level. He tucked a lock of hair behind his daughter’s ear and breathed, “You look so beautiful, Monkey.” 

Grace dropped her head, for a second, to hide her reddened cheeks from Danny. Then, she looked back up and held out the box that she’d been holding. “Here you go Danno,” she grinned. “Uncle Steve’s already got his on.” 

Danny took the box from Grace and sat back on the bottom step of the staircase. The blonde cop grinned with the corner of his mouth, already knowing what was inside—a fresh corsage, made entirely of yellow hibiscus flowers—as he had purchased one for Steve, made entirely of blue violets. Rachel sat on the step behind Danny, as he opened the lid of the box, revealing anticipated yellow corsage. Gingerly, he pulled the ring of flowers out of the box and dropped the empty container by his feet. “Thank you, baby,” Danny smiled, sliding the flower bracelet around his wrist. “It’s a perfect fit.” 

For a moment, Danny admired the corsage. Then, a familiar voice called out from above and Danny, Rachel, and Grace all turned looked up to find Kono leaning over the edge of the railing of the staircase. Similar to Grace, she wore a cream-colored maxi dress, with her hair in a bohemian braid, pinned back with a blue and yellow flower crown, and a matching corsage on her wrist. Flustered, she looked around a moment, then, called out to Rachel. “Hey, Rachel, would you mind giving us a hand?” she asked, pointing her thumb down the hallway behind her. 

“Sure thing,” Rachel nodded, rising from the step. She held out a hand and nodded to Grace, “Come along. Grace.” Grace smiled and joined her mother in a skip up the staircase, meeting up with Kono. Then, all three girls made their way to the bedroom.

“Best women crisis?” Chin asked through a chuckle, as he watched the two girls disappear down the hallway. Danny turned to Chin and shrugged, softly, joining his friend in a bit of laughter. Chin bobbed his head until the laughter faded out, then, swung himself around, taking a seat beside Danny on the stairs. He dropped his head, briefly, then patted Danny’s shoulder, with a lingering sigh, and smiled. “Big day huh?”  
Danny locked his eyes on his corsage and nodded, for Chin didn’t realize just how much truth those words held.

Before Steve, Danny wasn’t sure he even knew how to make relationships last more than a year, as all the ones he tried either ended up in sorrow or disaster. And, after Rachel, he was sure he’d never get married again, no matter who he ended up with because he didn’t want to chance another divorce, or put Grace—and now Charlie—through that again. Yet, now, he wanted nothing more than to risk all that again. Thanks to Steve’s drunken apology at the partner’s retreat, two years ago, ending with both of them naked, sweaty, out of breath, and Steve asking to do it again, Danny realized that the relationship he’d been wanting—and maybe even needing—was right in front of him, all along. Danny fulfilled Steve’s request and, two months later, the Navy SEAL asked him to move in, permanently. 

Once they realized what they’d both been missing, their relationship became stronger than ever and they started spending almost every moment together. That’s why when Danny planned a proposal on the beach, last summer—accompanied by a photographer to capture the moment, dinner for two under the stars, and a live band to play Steve’s favorite songs—it came as such a shock to everyone, including himself. And he never thought he would ever break his own rule—he always told Steve that they didn’t need to get married to prove their love—but, yet here he was. About to get married. Again. To his best friend. To his guy best friend. To Steve. In less than an hour, he’ll be giving up the peaceful life of a Williams and, with full sound mind and body, legally joining ‘Operation McGarrett.’ And, as much as that thought terrified him and made it hurt to breathe—because he knew exactly the kind of life he was getting himself into—it, also, made his heart race, his stomach flutter, and radiated warmth throughout his whole body because he knew exactly the life he was getting himself into—and he didn’t want it any other way.

“Yeah,” Danny breathed. Then, he looked up to meet Chin’s eyes and smiled. “Thanks for doing this for us.” 

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Chin grinned, giving a friendly squeeze to Danny’s shoulder. He stopped a tipped his head, a moment, watching Danny retie the laces of his right canvas shoe, then, his left. After securing the knots, and dusting off the shoes to perfection, Danny sat back up and Chin chuckled, “I have to ask, why not just go barefoot? I mean, you are getting married on the beach.”

“Okay, now you sound like Steve,” Danny chuckled. “I know we agreed we wanted this to be casual but barefoot just seemed a bit too casual for me.” He straightened out the wrinkles in his slacks, with the back of his hand, and sighed, lightly, “Besides, Steve and I agreed to include both Hawaii and New Jersey in this wedding. And, since eighty percent of this has already been claimed as Hawaiian, by the fact that we’re literally doing this on the shores of the island, I don’t think these are a bad compromise for Jersey.” 

“Okay, fair point,” Chin chuckled, playfully raising his hands in surrender. He and Danny shared in another laugh until it was interrupted by a buzzing sound in his pocket. The pair’s laughter faded and they shared a concerned glance, before both grimacing down at the sound. Chin sighed as if to apologize to Danny in advance, and reached into his pocket for his phone. Watching with sunken eyes, Danny’s heart pounded from his chest, as Chin fiddled for the device. Five-O getting a call this early in the morning could only mean one thing: That Danny was about to give Steve a raincheck on their own wedding day.

When Chin, finally, freed the phone from his pocket, Danny closed his eyes, wishing he could, also, close his ears so he didn’t have to hear who was contacting Chin. “Let me guess, we got a case?” he asked, flatly, defeatedly falling against the railing.

“Actually, no,” Chin’s relieved tone made Danny open his eyes and sit back up. “It’s a text from Kono,” he smiled, reading over the message on his screen. “She said that the girls are just about ready and that I should get everyone in their seats so we can start.” He sent a quick reply to Kono and returned his phone to his pocket. When he turned back to his friend, Chin was surprised to see Danny stroking his hands together and tightness in his eyes, as he stared off into nowhere. Chin scoffed, softly, rolling his head and reached out a hand to steady Danny’s jittery leg. “Hey…” he said, gingerly, pulling Danny’s eyes to his. Chin smiled, “…Loa`a iā `oe kēia.” Danny halted his leg and wrinkled his eyes, staring vacantly at Chin. Chin chuckled and translated for him. “It means, ‘you’ve got this,’” he said, patting Danny’s leg.  
Danny nodded and flashed him a glowing smile. “Mahalo,” he said, warmly, placing a hand on Chin’s shoulder. Chin smiled back at Danny and pulled him in for a hug. Then, after a moment, he gave Danny one more pat on the back—as if to say ‘good luck’—and rose from the stairs to make his way outside. Danny watched Chin round the corner and disappear onto the lanai, then, lowered his head to admire his corsage, again. He let out a long, soft, sigh, as he pulled the ring of yellow flowers through his fingers, his eyes glowing and lips unable to hold back their smile. 

Yes, this really was happening. 

*******

A muffled melodious, low bellow from outside, on the beach, echoed inside the walls of the house, buzzing along the floorboards under Danny’s feet and up his legs, until it settled deep into his belly. The tingle of the vibrations lingered, for a moment, radiating a warmth through Danny’s body and quickening his heartbeat. He opened the sliding glass door of the lanai and let a soft grin spread across his face, when the crisp, salty ocean air hit his nose. Danny closed his eyes, pulled in a deep breath and savored the moment in his nose. Then, when he felt another melodic hum under his feet, Danny opened his eyes. He grinned, spotting Kamekona standing under the archway, with his head raised high in the air and blowing hard into the mouth of a conch shell. 

When the tones settled, Kamekona lowered the shell and met eyes with Danny—who was leaning against the doorway—and nodded to him. Danny nodded back, flashing a quick wave, and mouthed the word ‘Mahalo’ to his friend. Kamekona smiled back, bowing his head, slightly, then, sat in the empty chair, waiting for him, in the front row, in between Danny’s mom and Duke Lukela. 

Just as Kamekona settled into his seat, Chin stood up from his and took his place underneath the archway, facing out to the crowd of guests. He straightened out his last-minute wrinkles, and adjusted his lei, then, raised an eyebrow at Danny at the back of the crowd. Danny, who leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, nodded to assure his friend that everything was okay. Then, Chin cleared his throat, softly, and opened up the book he’d been carrying with both hands. “Friends, family, on behalf of the grooms, I want to thank you all for being here to share this day with them,” he recited, tilting his head, gingerly, towards the guests. “If you are here, it means that each of you holds a special place in their hearts, and they would not be who they are today without you here. And, if you’re not here…” he stopped, briefly, to meet eyes with Danny’s sister, Stella, in the front row. “…Then, you’re not even hearing this speech anyway, are you?” he continued, playfully. He looked up and saw Danny shaking his head and swallowing his laughter, trying to hold in the corniness of that joke. Chin snickered along, for a moment, then, he composed himself and readjusted himself. “Anyway…” he sighed, wistfully, turning back to the crowd, “…for those of you that don’t know me, my name is Chin Ho Kelly. I run the Five-O task force, under the command of two of the greatest people I know. These two men are not only my partners on the field every day, they have, also, become two of my closest friends. They’re my Ohana…” Chin paused and met Danny’s eyes. The pair shared a quick smile, then, Chin turned back to the guests. “…And I am not only grateful but also honored to be the one they asked to unite them together today,” he continued, bowing his head to Danny and Steve’s families lining the chairs in the front row, “So, without further ado, let’s get this started, shall we?” 

Chin turned and gestured a hand to the front row of chairs, prompting Kamekona to rise from his chair and give one final blow into his conch, before returning to his seat. After the low bellow from the shell faded out, the wedding processional cued up behind Danny. Watching them, his stomach grew heavy and his heart quivered. Things were getting more real by the second. 

Holding a wicker basket full of yellow and blue flower petals, Grace and Joanie took their place at the front of the line. Behind them, there Jerry and Charlie, both dressed in tan slacks and a white button-down. Charlie held a small, tan pillow with two rings tied to the top, in his left hand, and had the first two fingers of his right enveloped by Jerry’s hand. Mary and Lou followed next. Then, finally, Kono met up with Adam and straightened out the last of the wrinkles in his white button-up before linking her arm around his bicep. They shared a kiss, before following the rest of the group out the door. Danny shifted to center his weight, and parted his lips, slightly, with a soft sigh, sharing a thankful nod with each as they passed by him. When Kono and Adam stepped over the threshold, the soft strum of a ukulele made Danny’s chest tighten. He leaned against the doorway and closed his eyes, savoring each note inside his heart. 

Flippa strummed a few seconds more, then, smiled when he saw the wedding party nearing. “Wise men say, only fools rush in…” he began to sing, softly, turning all heads towards the back of the crowd. The guests rose from their seats to admire the processional sauntering towards them, following Grace and Josie’s trail of petals sprinkled atop the flowing, white, runner that ran so delicately between the chairs. “…but I can’t help, falling in love with you. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can’t help falling in love with you?” With big smiles, spreading across their faces and to their ears, and keeping their arms locked side-by-side, the wedding party paced to the soothing beat of each word. “Like a river flows…surely…to the sea. Darling so…it goes. Some things are meant…to be.” When they reached the end of the aisle, they each flashed Chin and Flippa a smile, then, split off to their prospective sides of the altar; boys on the left, girls on the right. Behind the music, there came a ruckus from inside the house that jerked Danny’s eyes open and made him turn back towards the living room. For a moment, his heart stopped and he locked his eyes locked onto his handgun, which was resting on the side table by the front door, wondering who would be foolish enough to break into such an event with all these cops around. But then, his eyes darted toward the sound of slow footsteps coming down the staircase, and, suddenly, a rush of adrenaline restarted the pounding of his heart because he knew who they belonged to. Danny’s skin tingled, as he watched the feet descend the staircase, and his breaths stalled when he saw Steve—wearing a light-green shirt, white linen slacks, a blue corsage on his right wrist, and light brown canvas shoes—reach the bottom of the staircase. Steve flashed a freshly whitened smile to Danny, then, crossed the room to meet up with him. Danny stood frozen, a moment, the whole world around him disappearing until he felt Steve’s arm link around his bicep. 

Danny returned to reality and peered up at Steve. Both partners just stood in silence, a moment, and stared at each other, adoringly, neither one stopping to blink. “Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help, falling in love with you.” They both shared a smile, at the truth behind those lyrics, before going outside. With their arms linked—Danny resting his head against Steve’s chest and Steve caressing Danny’s forearm—the pair walked along the runner, meeting eyes and waving to their guests. “Like a river flows…surely…to the sea. Darling, so it goes…some things…are meant to be. Take my hand…” Steve held onto Danny’s arm a bit tighter, as they neared the end of the aisle. When they arrived under the archway, the couple separated to their perspective sides of Chin—Danny to the right, Steve on the left—but kept their hands locked in the center, as they watched Flippa belt out the final lyrics. “…Take my whole life too. For I can't help…falling in love, so much love, with you. For I can't help falling in love with you.” As the strums of his ukulele faded out, Flippa gave the couple a gentle smile. Danny and Steve nodded, thankfully, to him, cuing Flippa, to return to his seat, then, faced each other, their eyes swollen with affection. 

Chin took a second to admire his partners. “Friends, family, Ohana…” he said, smiling warmly, gazing out to the sea of guests in front of him. “…It’s not every day that you get to witness something as spectacular as this. The union of Steven Jack McGarrett and Daniel Desmond Williams is one that we all were sure would have happened way before now…” 

Eric cupped his hands around his mouth, leaned back in his chair, and shouted from the back of the crowd, “Isn’t that the truth!” then, immediately, sunk down in his seat, receiving a side-eye from Danny. But, seconds later, he sat up and gave his uncle a pleased nod, when the rest of the guests burst into a bit of laugher. Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to Steve, who mouthed, ‘Leave him be,’ while trying not to laugh along with the crowd. 

After almost a minute, Chin cleared his throat to silence the laughter. “…But, as we all know, tradition is not really their way of doing things,” he continued. “However, now that this day has finally come, I am sure this union is one that will last, always. As long as I’ve known you, there was never a day that went by where both of you didn’t need the other in your life. I have seen you two sacrifice so much for the safety and well-being of the other and still come out wishing you could have done more. You start each day with a glance that asks, ‘How are you doing today?’ Then, Danny rants about Steve not letting him drive the Camaro…” 

“Boy is that true,” Steve chuckled, under his breath but loud enough for the crowd to hear him. 

Danny pulled his hand away from Steve’s and faced the crowd. “I would like to remind everyone that, technically, the Camaro is mine, so I should be allowed to drive it every once and a while.” 

“…see what I mean?” Chin asked the guests, jokingly. Danny rolled his eyes, bushing of the last bits of laughter coming from the front row, and grabbed Steve’s hand again. Chin smiled “…But, just like now, every argument, or disagreement, ends with affection,” he continued. “You two always end every day being closer than you were when it started. You’re partners. But, not only that, you’re best friends. And, who better to marry than your best friend?” 

“I agree,” Steve said, softly, so only Danny could hear him. Danny gave a smirk with the corner of his mouth and let a soft blush fade onto his cheeks. 

“So let’s make it official, shall we?” Chin turned to his left, gestured for the rings, and smiled, “Charlie?” 

The young Williams boy gave a bright, gapped tooth smile and stepped forward. A few “awes” echoed sporadically from the crowd, as he crossed in front of the guests. When he reached the space between Danny and Steve, he stopped and peered up to his father and uncle. Both men looked down at Charlie and smiled warmly. Blushing, Charlie lifted the pillow out above his head. “Here you go, Danno,” he grinned, biting his bottom teeth. 

Danny met Steve’s eyes a moment. Steve winked and gave him a soft grin, nodding his head towards Charlie. Danny chuckled, softly, and shook his head, pulling his hands away from Steve’s. Then, he knelt down to Charlie’s eye level and grinned. “Thanks, buddy,” he said, softly, taking the rings from the pillow, into his right hand. Then, Danny pulled Charlie in and pressed a long kiss to his forehead and whispered, “I love you.” 

Charlie’s cheeks reddened. “Love you too, Danno,” he chuckled, shyly. He curled into Danny’s kiss for a moment, then, shuffled back to his side of the alter. Danny kept his eyes on Charlie for a few seconds, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky, then, stood back up to Steve’s level. 

He shook the rings into the palm of his hand and held them out to Steve. “After you,” he grinned, playfully. 

Steve smirked, smugly, and let a tender scoff escape his nose, and took one of the rings from Danny. “With this ring…” he said, locking eyes with Danny, gingerly, lifting his left hand with his right. “…I give you all that I am…and, uh… all that I ever shall be.” Slowly, he slid the ring over Danny’s third finger, then, took Danny’s hands in his, holding him by the fingertips, and smiled, “And, as it forever…cir-yeah, circles your finger…let it forever remind you that I promise, I promise to always be by your side, always have your back, and will always be a faithful partner to you, both on the field and in life.” 

Danny chuckled, softly, looked down to his ring, then, back to Steve and leered at him. Part of him wanted to be angry, for he knew Steve’s words were on-the-spot and could be nothing more than something he tried to memorize this morning. But, deep down, Danny knew feelings were not an easy thing for Steve to express, especially in front of a large crowd. So, the longer he kept his eyes on Steve, and absorbed the words he had expressed, the faster his anger faded away until all that was left was complete adoration. “That was very nice, Steven,” Danny teased, linking their fingers together. “Very original, I like it.” 

“I did it for you,” Steve smiled, exposing his teeth, knowing he was never going to hear the end of it for coming up with his vows on the spot. 

Danny nodded, looking down at the remaining ring, then, reached out for Steve’s hand. “I give you this ring…” he said through a breathy sigh, “…as I hope it will be a reminder of my devotion to you. When you wear it, think of me and know that…no matter how many times your so-called driving makes me want to puke, or that you frustrate me for ignoring my generosity of donating half my liver to you that I—” 

“Love me?” Steve smirked, smugly, squeezing his hands around Danny’s. 

“Actually, I was going to say that I think—no, I know, yes I know that I will, definitely, 100% need to get my head examined after this because anyone that promises to marry you for the rest of their life has a serious death wish,” Danny teased, casually.

Steve wrinkled his eyes at Danny. “I love you too, Danno,” he said, offering a bemused smile that forced an elated grin across Danny’s face. Steve took both Danny’s hands into his, slowly, caressing them with his thumbs, staring deep into each other’s eyes.

“Now, I’m required to ask this, or else it’s not official…” Chin said with an approving smile that reached his eyes, “…Danny Williams, take this man to be your husband? To promise to love and protect him, through sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?” 

“Of course I will,” Danny replied with a nod but keeping his eyes locked on Steve. 

Chin nodded before Danny’s words had finished as if already expecting the answer, and turned his focus to the ex-Navy SEAL on his right. “And Steve…” he continued, reciting from his script, “…do you take Danny to be your husband? To promise to love and protect him, for better or for worse, so long as you both shall live?” 

“With all my heart,” Steve said, warmly, with a shine in his eyes. 

“Then, by the power vested upon me by the great state of “Havaee”…” Chin nodded, proudly, putting his native accent on Hawai’i, “…I now pronounce you husband and…um…husband?” He closed his book and wrinkled his eyes at the couple. “Hey, uh, guys. I don’t mean to be a buzzkill here but does that sound strange to anyone else, or just me? I mean, you’re Steve and Danny, right?” he asked through a chuckle, “Shouldn’t there be something a bit more…compelling…to use, rather than husbands?” He waved the book in front of them, as if trying to reorder the outdated statements inside, for a moment, then, sighed.

Danny and Steve met each other’s eyes to ponder this. They hadn’t really considered this themselves either. “I guess, Man and Man could work?” Danny suggested, cringing as soon as the words left his mouth.

“Oh God no,” Steve repelled, squinting his eyes. “How about, Man and Husband?” 

Danny glared at Steve. “Seriously? What’s the matter with you?” he asked, wrinkling his brow in disgust, “Isn’t ‘Man and Husband’ just a grouping of the two combinations we both already agreed we didn’t like? Why suggest joining them?” 

Steve shrugged and dropped his mouth, slightly, ready to make what everyone was sure to be a witty comeback at Danny, but was interrupted by a voice beside them. “Why not just say ‘McDanno, ‘Cuz?’” Chin, Danny, and Steve snapped their heads around to find Kono, butting her bottom lip to hide her chuckle. “It works right?” 

Chin thought about this for a moment. There weren’t any rules that said he couldn’t do this and, being the officiant, he could technically say anything he wanted because nothing was actually official until they signed the papers. And Steve and Danny weren’t ones for tradition anyway. Chin smiled and turned back to find the soon-to-be husband’s had already considered and agreed with Kono’s suggestion and were, now, just waiting on him to make it official. “Alright then,” he smiled, setting his book at his feet. “Since we’re only doing this because we have to anyway…” he stated, nobly, through a sigh, as he faced back to the crowd, “…by the power given to me by the great state of “Havaee,” I can now officially…” he made sure to emphasize that word the most, “…pronounce you McDanno.” He reached out, placing a firm hand on both Steve and Danny’s shoulders, at the same time, and pulled himself close so only the couple would hear his next words. “You know what to do,” he said softly with a wink. “Make it a good one.” He smirked, smugly, and gave them both a final pat on the back before pulling away. 

For what felt like forever—but was less than a minute—Danny and Steve became lost in each other’s eyes. Both their heartbeats pounded so loudly in their chests that the ocean waves had even stopped to listen. After a moment, Steve reached out his hand, taking Danny by the curve in his lower back, and pulled him close. The couple stared at each other, lustfully, for a moment, then, closed their eyes, leaned their heads toward one another, and delicately pressed their lips together, joining them in a kiss like never before; for now, they shared one breath, one sensation, one timeless and passionate moment. Danny wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, as the Navy-SEAL dipped him back to secure their kiss. As their kiss lengthened, a heat rose in their cheeks, then, a quick and electric, while also delicious, more determined heat rose from their insides and sought to chase down the elusive liquid lightning that sparked through the both of them. And, it wasn’t until their cheeks had finally cooled that the newlyweds released they’d been kissing for longer than they’d planned. And only after they pulled off each other’s lips did their sense of hearing return and deafen them with an eruption of merriment from the crowd. Danny and Steve faced them, taking each other by their newly ringed hands, and passed thankful waves to their massive Ohana. 

“And now, friends and family,” Chin beamed, raising his hands in the air above Steve and Danny’s heads, “It is with my greatest honor and privilege to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mr. Daniel and Steve Williams—” 

~*~

“—McGarrett?” Chin’s voice had become a women’s and sent Steve’s eyes shooting open. His mind was in shambles and heart pounded from his chest, as he tried to gain his surroundings. Eventually, his focus returned and his heart nearly slowed when he realized he was alone in a waiting room. He peered over his shoulder to find a young doctor hovering in the doorway. She ignored the resonating commotion in the ER behind her as she tried again to greet Steve. “Are you alright, Commander?” the doctor asked, delicately, crossing further into the room.  
Steve wrinkled his brow at her, still not sure what he was doing here in the first place. But his throbbing headache quickly brought him back to reality. He raised his hand to massage the pain from his temple and, above his right brow, felt the bandage they’d given him to cover up his stiches. Steve licked his swollen bottom lip and tasted metal. His t-shirt may have been hiding any evidence of bruises on his abdomen but, the fact that it hurt to breathe, told him of the ribs he’d broken just a few hours ago. Steve’s eyes darted to the medical bracelet still dangling from his wrist—WILLIAMS-MCGARRET, STEVEN—and all at once, the last few hours his mind had been trying so hard to combat with memories of their wedding was replaced washed away with memories of the last few hours. Steve’s eyes widened and, ignoring every ounce of pain shooting through his body, he jumped up from his chair and shouted, “Danny!” 

****** 

Without hesitation, Steve sprinted toward the exit of the waiting room, trying to push his way past the doctor. “Commander…Commander! Commander, please!” the doctor shouted, wrestling Steve to keep him back in the waiting room. She gripped his biceps, stopping Steve in his tracks, and held him steadily at her side. Steve stopped and gazed out into the ER. “Panicking is not going to help him,” the doctor comforted, trying to catch her breath. She kept her hands there another moment for comfort, but also to make sure he didn’t try that again, then she pulled away and sighed, gently. “Besides, you should be taking it easy,” she reminded, “you were in some rough shape yourself.” 

“I’ll live,” Steve quickly assured, “What about Danny? Is he alright?” 

The doctor chuckled softly nodding her head, as she just remembered who she was dealing with. “Detective Williams is still in testing,” she informed, casually, crossing her arms over her chest, “But I’ll be sure and let you know as soon as he’s back in his room.” Steve sighed and dropped his head to the floor. The doctor flashed him a kind smile and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder before exiting back into the ER.  
Steve lifted his arms behind his head and let out a deep, lengthy, sigh, darting his eyes to the ceiling. He stared into the overhead fluorescent light, a moment, debating whether or not he wanted to hear what she had to tell him. Then, he closed his eyes and took in all the sounds from the ER, immediately being reminded of what brought him here in the first place—

~*~

THREE HOURS AGO

“Seriously? You’re going to do this now?” Steve reprimanded, one hand on the steering wheel of the Camaro, the other sharply directed at Danny, who was seated in the passenger seat beside him; as usual. Even though there was a small piece of him that enjoyed it, he never understood why Danny always had to do this in the middle of a car chase. 

There would be plenty of time to nag him about driving once they apprehend the bad guys, so why did he always have to do it while they were “—Look out for the other—!” Danny shouted, cowering behind his seatbelt, as his whole life flashed before his eyes. 

HOOONNKK! 

Steve whipped the wheel to his right and kept just inches away from a head-on collision with a minivan. The sirens of the Camaro wailed out above their heads, letting everyone know of its presence until the fleet of HPD cars had finally caught up behind them. “Would you just shut up and let me drive?!” Steve demanded, checking the fleet in the rearview mirror and unintentionally conveying his anger for the elusive bank robbers onto Danny. 

“This is not driving, Steven! This is pining for a death wish!” Danny nagged back, forcefully, hanging onto the sides of his seat, as Steve made a sharp turn around the corner. He growled deep in his throat, trying not to fly out of his seat as Steve jumped a curb, “Note to self: You cannot arrest the bad guys if you flip the car and die before you even have a chance to catch up to them!” Steve ignored. He pushed the accelerator to the floor and the centrifugal exertion forced Danny against the back of his seat and tightened his seatbelt over his chest. 

“Yeah well, Danny…” Steve roared, making another sharp turn, and closing in on the criminal's van, “…if we obey the limits of the road, the bad guys are going to get away and I’m not—What the hell?!” Steve stopped and tightened his hands around the wheel, as hundreds of bullets started flying through the windshield of the Camaro. Immediately, he and Danny sunk into their seats to dodge try and dodge them. “What the hell are they doing?!” Steve shouted over the thundering of shots hitting the exterior of the car. Feeling the Camaro started to swerve, he tightened his grip on the wheel, squinted his eyes, and peeked his head up to try and scope out what was happening. 

“They’re shooting at us!” Danny shouted, dodging a new round of bullets. He gestured one hand toward the now-spiderwebbed windshield and clutched his seatbelt with the other, until his knuckles whitened, “I think you of all people would recognize gunfire when you saw it!”

“I know what bullets are, Danny!” Steve snapped, sarcastically, the veins in his neck twitching. The van made a sharp turn onto a side street. Steve jolted the wheel to follow them. Steve flared his nostrils, jolting the wheel to follow, and pushed the accelerator to the floor. “I meant, why the hell are they shooting at us?!” Steve asked, almost touching the grill of the Camaro to the van’s bumper. 

For a brief moment, the bullets stopped. “I don’t know, Steven! Maybe it’s their way of saying ‘leave us alone, please. We’re trying to get away with two million dollars here,’” Danny replied, sarcastically. 

Steve flexed his hands around the wheel and turned his disapproving side-glare towards Danny. “Seriously?” he asked, rhetorically, keeping his eyes peripheral vision on the van in front of him. Danny dropped his mouth, slightly, ready to defend his words, but was interrupted by yet another round of bullets. Both men ducked, instinctively, in their seats. “You and I, we’re going to have a serious talk about this later,” Steve informed his partner, shouting over the rain of shots. 

“Fine,” Danny sighed, reluctantly backing down. He sunk into his seat and raised his arms in front of his face to shield out the bullets. 

Steve ducked his head, slightly, into his shoulders, trying not to lose sight of the van, as they turned down yet another road. Steve refused to let them get away and, once again, gripped the wheel with both hands, shoved the accelerator to the floor, and sped after the perpetrators. They were doing almost 90 in a 45, yet Danny wished they could go faster, just to end this charade. The bullets continued to fly from the back of the van, ricocheting off the Camaro as like hailstones, yet, somehow, Steve continued to keep the nose of the car in line with the bumper of the van, determined not to lose them. Then, as the van readied to make another turn, so did Steve, until three bullets ripped through the Camaro—one through the front passenger tire, ripping it completely from the rim; One through Steve’s left shoulder, causing him to lose control of the vehicle; And a third one that Steve heard but didn’t have time to see where it hit before the Camaro lost control, it’s last three remaining tires skidding out and the lone rim scraping against the pavement, dragging a trail of sparks with it. 

The car spun out for a few seconds, before hitting the median of the intersection and tossing Steve and Danny around, like ragdolls, against the inside. The Camaro summersaulted five times, down the street—the third causing Steve to hit his head against the side of the driver’s door and blackout—until it came to a stop by slamming, passenger side, into an abandoned building. 

Steve came to a few seconds later when he heard the sirens approaching in the distance. With his feet to the sky and his head to the ground, the world around him was swimming and his vision was so blurred, it hurt to even look at the white of the deflated airbag, dangling limply in the space above his lap. As the sirens grew louder, Steve looked to his side to check on Danny, only to discover that the passenger side of the Camaro had completely crushed in on itself and all he found of Danny was his hand, dangling as limply as the airbag had been. Steve’s eyes widened at the sight of blood dripping from his husband’s wedding ring. His heart started pounding, erasing all the pain and distortion from his body, and he completely ignored the sound of help arriving outside. “Danny?” Steve called out once, the raspiness of his voice making it hard for even him to hear his own words. He swallowed hard, trying to dampen his throat, and dragged his arm along the broken glass and debris, then, reached out for Danny’s hand, “Danny?!” he called out, again, louder this time, struggling to reach his partner’s fingertips. After a few seconds of struggling, he shifted his body toward what was left of the passenger side of the Camaro and, finally, was able to reach his partner’s hand. “Danny, can you hear me?” he quizzed, grabbing it like a vice grip. Instantly, his body went numb, feeling the cold limpness of his partner’s hand in his own, and stared blankly at Danny’s hand; the whole world crumbling around him. “Danno, babe?” Steve begged, softly, a lump of despair rising to the back of his throat, as he caressed Danny’s lifeless hand with his thumb. Steve’s eyed swelled up with tears but he closed them just before any could fall out. 

Seconds later, many footsteps outside raced toward the accident. One fireman’s voice called out to Steve and Danny, his voice brawnier than the rest, “Commander? Detective? Can you hear me, is everyone alright?”

“We’re in here,” Steve shouted back, urgently, his voice cracked, “Danny needs EMS!” 

Steve watched out the demolished, rear passenger window, as the feet of the rescue team—including Chin, Kono, and Grover—stopped to inspect the Camaro. His heart stopped when he heard the brawnier fireman suggest their course of action. “Looks like we’re going to have to use the Jaws of Life to get him out of there,” he instructed, “There’s too much damage to this side to try anything else. Lieutenant Kelly, your team should take the other side and check the Commander.” Each team agreed with the decisions made, then, split off to complete their tasks. Chin, Kono, and Grover circled the wreckage to check on Steve and the fireman returned to the passenger side with the Jaws. 

As they began prying open Danny’s door, Steve darted his eyes to Danny’s hand, caressing it briefly with his thumb, then, closed his eyes, wishing for a miracle that he could be someplace else.

~*~

Steve opened his eyes, his head still upturned to the ceiling, and sighed, deeply. He lowered his head to the floor, dropping his arms to his side, and gazed around the tranquil waiting room. He puffed his cheeks and blew out, loudly, as he took a seat in one of the empty chairs beside him. Steve slumped into the seat, burying his face into his palms, a moment. Then, he rubbed his hand over the whole of his face, hoping to wake himself up from this nightmare, and rested against the back of the chair, staring blankly into the commotion of the ER. 

A set of voices echoed from the hallway, just a few seconds later, their familiarity pulling Steve’s attention back to reality, and then became faces when they stepped into the waiting room. Sharing mixed emotions of happiness and concern on their faces, Kono and Chin rushed over to see Steve. Steve rose from his chair to hug them. “Hey, Boss. Lou’s got the Twins. How’s Danny?” Kono asked, taking the first hug. 

“I don’t know, he’s still getting tests,” Steve sighed, squeezing his arms tight around Kono’s waist and burying his face in her neck. At that moment, Steve felt safe in her arms and knew Kono wouldn’t judge him for crying on her shoulder. But even though he wanted to—so badly it was making his lungs burn—he didn’t. 

Kono pulled back from Steve. When she saw the light on his face flicker and go out, Kono wrapped a hand around the back of Steve’s neck and pulled him toward her, touching their foreheads together. Steve and Kono both closed their eyes. Then, Kono whispered, “Eia wau no ‘oukou.” Steve chuckled, softly, from his nose, and let a slight smirk form in the corner of his lips. Then, pulling away from Kono, he took her hand in his, squinted his eyes, and gave her a firm nod to let her know he got the message. Kono smiled and stepped back, dragging her hand away from Steve’s. 

Chin stepped into his cousin’s place beside Steve and flashed him a concerned smile. “You doing okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Steve sighed, pulling Chin in for a hug, “It’s Danny I’m worried about.” He felt safe in his arms too. He still couldn’t cry but it was nice to Chin would have let him. 

Chin pulled away from Steve but kept one hand on his shoulder. “Exactly,” he replied, his eyes wide with hidden motive. “How are you doing?” 

Steve shook his head and sighed, “Honestly…not great.” He pulled away and crumbled back into the seat he had claimed before. He dropped his chin to his chest, hunched his shoulders, and angled himself away from his team, unable to meet their eyes. “I don’t know how I let this happen,” he stated, shamefully. “I know I can be a bit reckless but I’m always, always attentive that way I don’t…” He stopped and sighed, heavily, sinking back in his seat. He massaged the corner of his eyes with his fingers and breathed, almost inaudibly, “…God, what did I do?” swallowing hard, as he rested his head against the wall behind him.

Kono and Chin shared a look of concern, then, both crossed the room over to Steve. “Boss, what are you talking about?” Kono asked, gently, sitting in the seat on Steve’s left. 

“HPD said the robbers blew one of your tires,” Chin reminded, blatantly, “So, even if something does happen to Danny, all evidence says that it was the robbers who—” 

“But it was my fault, Chin!” Steve interrupted, deafeningly. Chin and Kono’s eyes widened. The cousins shared in another moment of concern before turning back to Steve, who’s eyes were now swollen. He clenched them shut, not wanting his team to see his tears fall, and shook his head, trying to convince himself his words were inaccurate. But it could not be done. “It’s my fault Danny’s here right now,” Steve admitted, softly, his voice hoarse from holding back tears. “I’ve lead military convoys through storms of landmines and assault weapons, without ever once losing a single one of my men, yet, somehow, a single bullet takes out the tire of my car, on streets I’ve been driving around on since I was a boy, and I can’t control the vehicle enough to save my partner’s life?!” Steve sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He slumped forward in his seat, hung his head toward the floor, and put his arms over his neck, kneading his shoulders with his fingertips. 

“Steve…” Chin frowned, letting out a long, dejected sigh. He shook his head and sat on the bench across from the crestfallen Navy-SEAL and tried to comfort him, “…Danny’s gonna pull through this.” A reassuring smile quivered on his lips, for even he was hesitant to believe his own words. 

Steve’s eyes were red and inflamed, as he, slowly, found the strength to turn them up to Chin. “And if he doesn’t…” he breathed, weakly, those words burning through the back of his throat, “…I’m never driving again.” He swallowed hard, feeling his tears reach the corners of his eyes. Afraid to let them be seen, Steve pushed off from his seat and made a break for the exit, disappearing into the hallway.

Chin scoffed and turned to Kono, raising an eyebrow at her, “What was that all about?” Kono looked to Chin and shrugged, shaking her head, slightly. 

*******

In the commotion of the ER, Steve shoved his way through a sea of doctors, nurses, and patients, until he came to a private bathroom, a few feet away from the waiting room. The green ‘vacant’ sign, above the handle, told him it was clear to enter and, without hesitation, Steve he burst his way inside. The door whipped open, slammed against the interior bathroom wall, and, immediately, boomeranging back closed. As the echo metal-on-concrete dissipated, Steve turned the lock to ‘occupied,’ then, crossed to the sink. He turned the faucet to its highest, the instant jet suppressing all the sounds from outside, and cupped his hands underneath the water. Steve tipped his head forward, as his palms, quickly, filled, then, he pulled his hands back from the stream and threw the water at his face, rinsing all evidence of tears from his eyes.  
Steve opened his eyes to check for tears in the mirror above the sink. They were still red and swollen—probably because he just drenched them with foreign fluids, but he wasn’t taking any chances—so he cupped his hands under the stream, again, and waited for the water to rise, a little higher than before. Then, he pulled back and threw the water into his eyes, a second time. Steve fought off momentary blindness, while also spitting the excess water from his mouth, as he felt around for the faucet, then, when he finally located it, he pushed the lever down and sent an immediate stillness through the bathroom. 

For a moment, Steve remained keeled over the sink, unable to find the strength to lift his head and let out a heavy sigh. Letting the water drip-dry from his face, he could feel his heartbeat inside his throat and all his limbs tingle with fatigue, as a group of nauseating images—Danny’s bloody wedding ring, EMS pulling Danny from the wreckage, and the hospital staff rushing Danny through the ICU doors—flashed into his mind and wouldn’t let up until he opened his eyes. Steve stared at the water droplets racing each other to the drain and reached out beside him for the towel dispenser hanging by the sink. He pulled three sheets from the dispenser, unable to face his reflection in the mirror, and used them to dry his face. Steve massaged the towels over his face, a moment, making sure to soak up all the water—and any excess tears—then, finally, peered up to the mirror but didn’t see his reflection. Instead, all he saw—or more or less, felt was a tightness in his chest and his stomach start to curdle. And the longer he stared at his pale, harried, unfamiliar self the more bile came to the back of his throat. 

Steve inhaled, deeply, pushing the latent vomit back down to his stomach, turned away from the mirror, and released a disgruntled sigh, as he crossed back to the bathroom door. He clicked the lock from ‘occupied’ to ‘vacant,’ then, lowered his head, as he opened the door. On the other side, he was met by Kono, who had her fist aimed at the door, ready to knock. Steve flinched, upon seeing her, and both of them stopped in their tracks. “Sorry, Boss,” Kono said, jerking her hand back to her side, “I didn’t realize you were—” 

“No it’s my fault,” Steve said, his breath hitching. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, “It seems I’m trying to get the world record for that today.”

Kono chuckled, softly, and put a hand on her hip, “Well, we just got a call.”

Steve nodded, firmly, “So, let’s go, then.”

“Actually…” Kono smiled, warmly, “…Chin and I thought we’d take this one since you’d probably rather be in there with Danny.” 

Steve scoffed, looking to the ceiling, and shook his head, “Kono, I’m coming with you. Danny’s not—” Steve stopped, finally taking in the words Kono had said, and let his mouth fall open. He looked to Kono, wide-eyed, and furrowed his eyebrows at her. “—Kono…” he asked, slowly, licking his lips, “…what did you just say?” 

Kono smiled with the corner of her mouth, her eyes brightening, “Doc just told us he’s back from testing.” Before her words could finish, Steve let out his loudest breath of relief, and his legs buckled from underneath him, sending him crouching to the floor. He hid his face in his hands, shaking his head, then, wiped his hands across his face and gazed up to Kono, his eyes softening. Kono chuckled and rolled her eyes, then, turned to Steve with a warm smile. “What are you waiting for? We got this,” she chuckled, nodding her head down the hallway, “Trauma Center, Room 113.”

*****

As Steve made his way down the Trauma center hallway, he casually studied each of the patient’s rooms, searching for Danny. Room 110 was empty except for a hospital maintenance man, no more than 60-years-old, putting fresh linens on the bed. The maintenance man peered up at Steve, for a brief second, and flashed him a smile, as if to ask, “You doing okay, Son?” Steve nodded back with a half-smile, to reassure the man, then continued on down the hallway. 

The door to Room 111 was closed but Steve could hear a tiny and weakened, child-like cry coming from the other side. Steve stopped in his tracks and, immediately his new parental kicked into overdrive. His heart raced and his palms grew clammy, anxiously needing to see what was wrong. But, seconds later, he was stopped by a soft, protective voice of a young woman’s voice. Following a quiet, “Shhh,” she gently comforted the child, “I’m sorry, I know it hurts, baby.” Steve closed his eyes and imagined her cradling the child in her arms, “Just let the doctor take a look. Mommy’s here, I’ve got you.” She punctuated her words with a kiss to the forehead—Steve was becoming an expert on telling the different areas apart just by their sounds—and the child’s cries dissipated, along with all of Steve’s concerns. Steve let out a small, sigh of relief, unconsciously completing his smile, opened his eyes, and continued down the hallway. 

The sound of a heart monitor resonating from Room 113 made Steve not study Room 112 as often as the others. But in the few milliseconds of time when he powerwalked passed their open door, he made out what looked to be a young boy, about 7-years-old, asleep in the bed, with an IV, oxygen mask, heart monitor, and a pulse reader wrapped his left first finger. His entire right hand was splinted up and bandaged so that only the end of fingertips could be seen. An older man—possibly the boy’s father—sat at the boy’s bedside with his elbows resting by the boy’s feet and his head hung, almost shamefully, between his limp wrists. From what Steve could tell, they both looked to be Haoles, but he couldn’t get a clear enough glimpse before he lost sight of them and crossed over to Room 113. 

The door was open. Steve stepped a foot inside but, upon hearing the rhythmic beating of Danny’s heart monitor, waited before stepping in any further. Though he couldn’t see Danny from where he was standing just yet, his stomach suddenly felt heavy at the thought of what he was about to see. Steve closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, in an attempt to replace all the nauseating images in his mind with only happy ones—like Danny’s smile, the Twin’s, and his Ohana—then, opened them on his exhale, as he gazed into the emptiness of Danny’s room. He swallowed hard, taking just another second to compose himself, before, crossing into the room. The further inside, the more Steve’s heart started to race. He already knew he wasn’t going to like the Danny he was going to see—the bloody wedding ring image still flashing through his mind told him that—but the Danny he saw, sleeping in bed, sent a sudden heaviness through to his core that left him paralyzed in his tracks. 

A fresh, galaxy-colored bruise swelled the left side of Danny’s face, from the top corner of his eye down to the bottom of his optical bone. A few small cuts were speckled around his right eye and the top of his nose. An oxygen cannula rested inside his nostrils, by the nubs, wrapped around his ears, and tightened underneath his chin. Danny was shirtless, exposing four, grey heart monitor electrodes, stuck to his chest, in a square formation, above a white bandage, which was wrapped firmly around his torso. A deeper, grey bruise protruded from under the bandage and seatbelted its way up the right side of his chest, ending at his shoulder. His right arm, hooked up to an IV and pulse oximeter, rested on the bed beside him, and a black splint around his right wrist, which was elevated on a pillow against his chest. 

Steve processed this, for a few seconds, his eyes welling up and a burn rising to the back of his throat. He let out a hard sigh, linking his arms behind his neck. Steve peered up to the ceiling, shaking his head in despair, swallowed back the lump in his throat, then, stared back to Danny with swollen eyes. Steve dropped his arms from behind his head and ran his hands over his face, briefly, before dropping them, limply, to his side. With a long, heavy sigh, he crossed the room, pulled up a chair to the right side of Danny’s bed, and slumped down into the seat. Now that he was closer, Steve got a closer look at the band around Danny’s right wrist and, after realizing this was the first, physical time he’d seen “McGARRETT” following Danny’s name, the corners of his eyes started to water. He knew he loved Danny but, until this moment, he never realized just how much sharing last names with him would feel and it made his chest burn with regret thinking about it. Which, unfortunately, a sensation that only got worse when he accidentally glanced over and saw the bloodstains on Danny’s wedding ring. 

Steve scoffed, dropping his head forward, and took Danny’s right hand in his own, squeezing it as if he hadn’t for years. He lifted Danny’s hand and, gently, kissed the back of his wrist, then, cupped his hand around Danny’s, joined their fingers together, and rested his chin against the top of their linked hands. He stared at Danny, longingly, and listened to the intermittent, electronic thuds of his partner’s heartbeat, struggling to find his breath with each of the pulses. And the longer he listened, the more Steve’s mouth felt gummy and the hotter his eyes burned, as he fought back the urge to cry. But, after two whole minutes of watching his partner’s diaphragm struggle to inflate only halfway before relaxing—and believing he could have done more to prevent this from happening—Steve let out a heavy, collapsed breath and dropped his forehead against Danny’s hand. When the tears, finally, escaped, Steve closed his eyes, completely ignoring their cold, dampness, and felt a sudden lightness spread through his body.  
With every tear that slid down his cheek, dangled from his chin, then, dripped down the side of his neck, Steve’s breaths grew easier to take in and his heartbeat steadied, for he once again felt safe. Only this time, Danny’s arms felt safe enough to cry. 

********

THREE HOURS LATER 

Somehow, Steve had managed to doze off in his chair, drawing in deep breaths through his gaping mouth. He had his head rested against the open palm of his right hand, which was propped on the arm of the chair, but it was, slowly, sliding off. Each of his snores came from someplace deep in his throat fell in between each of the beeps of Danny’s heart monitor. For a moment, the partner’s sounds played metronome, until a loud ringing jerked Steve awake. 

Just before his head slipped off his hand, he sucked in a breath, snapped his eyes open, and wiped the crud from his mouth, as he scoped the room to find the source of the sound. Another ring and he reached into his pocket. Then, Steve took out his phone, read who’s name was on the screen and answered. “Hey, Kono, what’s up?” he asked, tiredly, massaging the tiredness from his face with his free hand, “Did you follow up on that lead?” Waiting for her answer, he leaned forward and adjusted the pillow under Danny’s splinted wrist, then, gingerly, held that same hand under his own and caressed its edge with his thumb.  
“Yeah, but unfortunately it was a dead-end,” Kono replied, her car’s Bluetooth a bit scratchy coming through the speakers of Steve’s busted phone. He’d worry about fixing it once Danny was home safe. Right now, he was more interested in what Kono had to say next. “CSU did manage to get some prints off that gun we found though,” she informed. “Chin and I are heading to check that out now and Lou’s going to go talk to the—” 

“Wait, what about the Twins?” Steve interrupted his heart racing so fast he knew that, had he been wearing one, a heart monitor wouldn’t have been able to keep up with it. “Lou’s not taking the Twins with him, right?” 

Any other day, Kono would have joked around with Steve and teased him for asking that. But the panic she heard in his voice, quickly, reminded her that this was not just “any other day” and he had been through enough already today. “Of course not,” Kono eased, “He left them with Renne and the kids.” She tried muffling chuckle inside her nose but Steve still managed to hear it come through on his end. 

And even though part of him wanted to be mad at her—because how could she be laughing while Danny’s laid up like this?—Steve couldn’t help but mimic her, through a small, chuckle of his own, because she was right. That was a ridiculous question. “Right,” Steve sighed, apologetically, since he really should know his team better than to ask something like that. 

“It’s okay, Boss,” Kono said in a way that Steve knew she was smiling, “It’s been a rough day.” 

Steve nodded, pulling his hand off Danny’s, and leaned back in his chair. He tipped his head to the side and locked his eyes on his sleeping partner. “You could say that,” he breathed, almost inaudibly.

There was a moment of silence before Kono spoke again. “How’s he doing?” she asked, gingerly.

Steve chewed at the inside of his cheeks. “Doc says he’s got, uh…some deep bruising on his torso,” he said, rubbing the inside corners of his eyes with his thumb and first finger, “Uh…three fractured ribs and a small wrist fracture. Their tests didn’t find any internal bleeding or brain injuries,” he said with a long, dejected breath, as he leaned forward in his chair and leaned his elbows against his thighs, “But he does have a minor concussion and will have somebody sprains for the next few days.” 

“Well, that’s good news,” Kono said, comfortingly. 

“Yeah,” Steve shrugged, softly. He wasn’t so sure of that but he was thankful she was trying to help. He stared, blankly, at Danny’s bloodstained wedding ring a moment, before clearing his throat to break the unintentional silence. “Be sure to keep me updated with what you guys find,” he reminded, hastily, “And, if you need my help, just call and I’ll come—” 

“Boss…” Kono interrupted, stern but gently, “…we got this.” Steve shook his head, timidly, and even though she couldn’t see him, Kono knew that he was and she smiled, even though Steve couldn’t see her. “Just let us know when he’s awake,” she teased, lightly, “Chin, and I want to give him a hard time for making us have to work double-time today.” 

Steve closed his eyes and chuckled, softly. “Oh don’t you worry, he’s not going to get off easy this time. I’ll call you later,” he joked back, before hanging up. Steve let out a sigh and threw the phone onto the table beside the head of Danny’s bed, then leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to rub his face awake, and crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced up at the TV on the wall, which was playing an ad for some new sports drink he’d never heard of before, and partway through, the bitter, unpleasant taste of Room 113’s stagnant air came into his mouth and made his mouth go pasty and dry. Steve turned back to Danny with heavy eyes, hesitant to leave in case he wasn’t back to see him wake up. But the sting of thirst spreading over his tongue was too unpleasant to wait. Steve cleared his throat, breaking up the drywall that was making it almost impossible to take in a breath, and licked his lips, just to take the edge off. Then, he leaned in to press a quick kiss to Danny’s forehead—long enough to say he was there but short enough to keep his breath from sending Danny into a permanent coma—then, crossed the room and exited back into the hallway. 

******

The coffee vending machine was only down the hallway from Danny’s room, so Steve had only planned on making this a quick trip. But, when he got there, he found that the machine was out of order—well, just the flavor he wanted. Of course.—so he had to find enough place to fuel up. Which, after rolling his eyes to the ceiling while shaking his head, and asking the universe how he’d come to have such horrible luck, he realized didn’t matter because he’d left his wallet inside the belongings bag the hospital bag had given Danny, which was all the way back in Room 113, anyway. 

Steve hurried back to Room 113 and found the belongings bag on the bench by the window. He, shuffled through Danny’s belongings, quickly, so he could get to the coffee shop across the street before they closed and make it back before Danny wakes up. But a small piece of him did it also because every piece of his partner’s items reminded him of the accident and made his stomach burn. Eventually, though, Steve found his wallet, hidden underneath the blue button-up he’d picked out for Danny to wear that morning—which had now been stained with dried blood and ripped open, down the torso, where EMS had cut in order to perform CPR, and would not be coming home with them—and stuffed it into his back pocket. Then, Steve crossed the room, making sure to keep a set of protective eyes locked on Danny the whole time, until he exited into the hallway, again, and could no longer see him.

By the time Steve returned to the Trauma Center, Room 113 had gotten dark and took him by surprise, as he reentered the room. He knew that his trip to the café took a bit longer than expected (some woman took ten minutes to complain to the barista that her drink wasn’t made right) but he peered up to the clock on the wall just to see how long it had actually been. It was only 5:00 pm? This time of year really was deceiving. Steve scoffed, rolling his eyes, and took a sip of his coffee, as he crossed back over to his chair. He sat down and turned his gaze back to Danny, slurping another sip of coffee.  
“Did you get me one too?” Danny asked, half-asleep, his voice as rough as sandpaper. 

Steve choked on his coffee. “Danny!” he exclaimed, catching the drips of coffee that fell from his lips as he spoke, “You’re awake?!” Steve hurriedly wiped the coffee from his chin and lips, set his drink on the side table beside Danny’s bed, then, flicked on the bedside lamp. 

The light flashed onto Danny’s face like a spotlight and he clenched his closed eyes even tighter closed, drawing in a pained breath. “What are you doing?! Turn that off, you animal,” he grumbled, wafting Steve away like a fly, the beeps of his heart monitor speeding up. “I’ve got over a thousand jackhammers rapidly chiseling my head. You better kill that light before I kill you, Steven.”

Steve raised his eyebrows and scoffed. “Sorry,” he muttered, softly, turning the light back off. He sat back down and scootched his chair closer to the edge of the bed, taking Danny’s hand in his, resting their elbows on the bed. “Better?” Steve asked, playfully, gently running his fingers along the inside of Danny’s arm. 

“I’ll forgive you if you kiss me,” Danny replied, weakly, gesturing his first finger toward his head for Steve to come closer. A slow smile spread across Steve’s face as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Danny’s forehead. When Steve pulled back, Danny peeled his eyes opened and gazed up at Steve. “Maybe just one more?” he asked, fragilely. Steve smirked and gave another kiss to Danny’s forehead—this one lasting a few seconds longer than the last—before returning to his seat. He locked fingers with Danny and rested against the top of their hands, a euphoric smile on his face. Danny caressed the side of Steve’s hand with his thumb, for a moment, then wrinkled his brow when he saw the glow in his partner’s eyes begin to flicker away. His heart sunk, as Steve tried to mask his feelings behind a quivering lip. “Hey…” Danny’s voice was soft and heavy. He tugged at Steve’s hand, pulling it towards him, and lifted Steve’s guilt-ridden eyes to meet his. “You alright?” he asked, softly, tilting his head to the side of his pillow and squeezing his hand around Steve’s. 

Steve flashed a frozen smile, “I’m fine.” He pinched his lips tight together to keep them from exposing his deception. 

“Steven…” Danny breathed, pulling his hand from Steve’s. He pushed off with his wrist to adjust himself on the bed, letting out a soft, painful groan as he shifted, and causing the beats on his heart monitor to quicken. They returned to their usual rhythm, once he had settled back down, a moment. Danny swallowed back the dryness in his throat and leaned back on his pillow, eying Steve. “…come on, seriously?” he continued, sharply, gesturing an impatient hand at him, “I’ve been around you long enough to know when there’s something you’re not telling me, so just tell me what you want to tell me.” 

Steve dropped his eyes and sighed, bleakly, and collapsed back in his chair. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, running his hand over his mouth, for a moment, remembering it was pointless trying to keep anything from Danny anymore, and drew in a deep breath. He released a long exhale through his puffed-out cheeks and shook his head, slowly, as his vision started to blur again. Steve tried to clear away the burning in his throat, as he turned his head back toward his partner. His voice trembled as he tried to explain himself, “Danny, I…I just…” but he stopped and closed his eyes, shamefully, when his lips refused to form anymore words. He dropped his head between his legs, put his arms behind his neck, squeezing them against the side of his head, tightly, and shook his head at the floor. 

Danny frowned, the monitor exposing his sluggish heart rate. This wasn’t the first time they’d been in an accident—and, with their record, it definitely wouldn’t be the last—but something about the way Steve was trying to be discreet about his cries made Danny realize this time was different; he knew Steve wasn’t one with his feelings, but he hadn’t known the Navy-SEAL to ever let himself cry in the presence of others before. It was then that Danny realized whatever was bothering Steve could wait. He lifted his arm from the bed and reached out for Steve’s thigh. “Steve…” Danny breathed, apologetically, running his hand along the edge of his partner’s knee, “…forget I asked, okay?” He tilted his head, slightly, continuing to caress Steve’s leg, hoping to comfort him. But Steve’s head remained slumped to the floor. Danny sighed in his chest and frowned. He stopped his hand, but continued to caresses Steve’s thigh with his thumb, and turned his head away to think. And, after a moment, he got an idea. Danny turned back to Steve and smirked, playfully. “So…” he asked, clearing his throat to break the awkward silence, “…would you like to have that serious discussion now?” 

Steve scoffed to the floor. He lowered his arms and, slowly, raised his head, a bit of redness still lingering in the corner of his eyes. “Tell me, Daniel…” he grinned, rolling his eyes coyly, “…why do you find it necessary to joke in the middle of gunfire?” 

Danny smirked and caressed Steve’s thigh again. “It’s how I cope with dangerous situations, Steven,” he replied, sarcastically, taunting him back. 

The glow faded back into Steve’s eyes when he felt Danny’s touch. He reached out for his partner’s hand and took it into his own, locking their fingers together. Steve leaned rested his chin against their linked hands, ran his fingers along the inside of Danny’s arm, like before, and said, “Well maybe you could try to refrain from doing so next time?”

Danny shook his head and, at the same time, pulled his hand to bring Steve closer to him. Steve rested his head against Danny’s chest and closed his eyes, as he took in the natural sound of his partner’s heartbeat; each pulse sending warmth radiating throughout his body. Danny closed his eyes, burying his nose in Steve’s hair. “Not a chance, Babe,” he assured, smiling, drawing in the aroma of their shared coconut shampoo, which lingered faintly behind a mix of rubble and fresh linen. 

***** 

THE NEXT MORNING

The room was dark, illuminated only by the muted TV hanging from the wall in the corner of the room. See, since they had moved Danny to observation—because he had made enough of a recovery last night—for few days, he no longer had the sounds of a crowded ER, or a heart monitor, to balance out the jackhammering going on in his head, and the sudden restfulness of the inpatient room had already intensified his migraine to the point of him being sick twice. So, even though he’d, obviously, much rather hear what they were saying, Steve left the sound off; which was better anyway because it allowed him to hear each one of Danny’s heartbeats without any interference. While the Jersey-born cop continued to snore, loudly, beside him, Steve rested his head behind Danny’s, leaning on his right arm, while using his left hand to slowly massage away the kinks in his partner’s shoulder and neck. Moments later, he felt his eyes grow heavy until his own deep snores finally blended with Danny’s, and a reflexive grin spread across his face, as his thoughts transported him back to a place of comfort. 

~*~

The guests all watched, blissfully, as Danny and Steve danced to their first song as a married couple. As the gentle music played, they newlyweds swayed, slowly, around the room, becoming more with one another through every lyric that was sung. Steve closed his eyes and rested his head against his partner’s temple, with his hands, gingerly, locked against the crease of his Danny’s lower back. Danny buried his head into Steve’s shoulders and tucked his arms up under Steve’s, so they rested in the middle of his partner’s back. As the music enveloped them, Steve could feel Danny’s heart race against his chest. He turned to meet his partner’s eyes and whispered, “You alright?” 

Danny chuckled, softly, and tightened his arms around Steve’s back. “We’re not dreaming right?” he asked, resting his chin on Steve’s chest, gazing at his partner with bright and glossy eyes. He smirked, slightly, when he felt the soft rhythm of Steve’s heartbeat underneath; there’s no way a dream could feel this real. Steve snickered, softly, and peered down to meet Danny’s eyes. His cheeks flushed, a warm grin spreading from one ear to the other, as he leaned his head down and kissed Danny’s lips. 

There was a moment—maybe even a few seconds—when their mouths were pressed against one another where Danny was sure he’d stopped breathing; where he was sure the whole world had come to a stop, in fact. The only thing that told him it hadn’t, were the cheers and claps from the guests who had come to watch them do this all night; but even those soon froze just as the rest of the world had. They’d had plenty of kisses before now but, now that they were married, there was a different kind of flutter that weakened Danny’s knees. Maybe it was how soft Steve’s lips felt against his mouth, or how addictively he invaded all Danny’s senses, but there was raw emotion in the way all Steve’s finger’s curled around his. 

Heat rose from Steve’s stomach to his chest. As Danny's lips continued to press deeper and deeper into his kiss, his heart decided to skip a beat. And then another. Danny’s breath, though warm and destabilizing, was inviting and hypnotizing him beyond all reason. Steve parted his lips, pulling his partner in deeper with a hard breath, and felt Danny wash over him like a wave of warmth, curling his toes, unfurling all his senses, as the taste of him silenced all other thought in the world. When they felt the world start spinning around them again, Steve lifted his eyes half-open, sneaking a guilty peek at Danny—to convince himself this wasn’t a dream either—then, he tugged at Danny’s waist, pulling his best friend closer to his side. “You tell me,” he asked, tenderly running his lips along Danny’s earlobe. 

“Steven,” Danny scolded, pleasurably. Steve smirked and, gently, bit down, folding into his partner into his arms. Danny gasped, his entire body trembling as he tried to find his breath, “St—Steven! Steven!” he begged, softly, “Steve—Steve—Steve, please—” 

~*~

“—Steve…” Danny called out, lightly, waking his partner with an elbow to his chest. Steve snorted awake and, immediately, returned to massaging Danny’s neck and shoulders. As his eyes started to doze off again, Danny turned and met Steve’s heavy eyes and chuckled. “Why don’t you go home?” he lovingly suggested, “These beds are clearly not made for two people.” 

“You’re right, they’re not,” Steve nodded, sending a stretch through his whole body. “But I’m getting much more sleep cramped up beside you in a single bed than I would be getting if I was home, knowing you were here without me.” Steve took Danny’s hand in his, caressing the side of it with his thumb. 

The left side of Danny’s mouth grinned at Steve. “Babe…” he said, tilting his head on the pillow to be closer to Steve, “…you do know that I’m fully capable of taking care of myself after an accident and that it is okay for you to go home and be a father to our children, right?” 

Steve nodded, shrugging his shoulders, “Maybe. But, I also know that you’d have my head, later, if I wasn’t here for you, now, so I figured I might as well just stay with you until you’re ready to go home, that way I don’t have to hear you complain about me doing exactly what you just said two days from now.” He looked down at Danny’s jugging eyes and had to force his lips together to keep from laughing. 

Danny rolled his eyes. “It certainly would not be because I missed you too much,” he stated, rhetorically. Steve let out a soft chuckle and scooted himself closer toward Danny, putting one arm behind Danny’s head, the other locking hands together on his lap. Then, he put his nose into Danny’s neck and started to press light kisses along his partner’s collar bone. Danny closed his eyes, shuddering from the touch of Steve’s lips, and let out a defeated sigh. “Okay, maybe just a little,” he admitted, digging his heels into the bed, tipping his head back against the pillow, and becoming paralyzed. 

*******

THE NEXT MORNING 

Around 8 am, the doctor’s decided that Danny had made enough of a recovery that he no longer needed to stay in the hospital and they allowed him to return home, with the promise that he would take it easy for the next week or so, which Steve made sure would be a guarantee multiple times before they left the hospital. Having not yet heard back on a replacement Camaro—but Danny was really hoping they’ll go red this time—Steve called up Grover to come pick them up, since he was going to be bringing the Twins back home that afternoon anyway. Grover agreed to shuttle them home but told Steve it would be a few minutes before he’d arrive, as he needed to wrap up something on an early morning case before going back home to get the Twins. And, instead of sitting around waiting for him to arrive, Steve—and Danny. But mostly Steve, since the hospital required Danny to be wheelchair until they left the property and he didn’t have a choice—decided to pass the time by taking a few laps around the track behind the hospital. 

Halfway around their first lap, Danny’s phone rang and he answered, “Detective Williams?” Steve tilted his head, slightly, trying to listen in but, unfortunately, could only hear Danny’s conversation. “Yeah, uh, if red is available that would be great but if not then any color would be…oh, it is, then, red is perfect,” he continued, relaxing against the back of the chair. “Well, technically, yes, but I rarely ever actually get to. My husband does all the driving.” He stopped and joined the other person in a laugh. Steve’s eyes went blank and his body went numb, yet somehow, he continued around the track. Then, Danny leaned back against chair, smushing the fabric under his head, and peered upside down at Steve. “Hey, Babe, they want to know if they should put your name on the title this time,” he teased, biting his bottom lip to contain his laughter. After a few seconds without a response, Danny tried again. “Steve?” he asked, the light flickering from his face. And, when another few seconds passed without a response from Steve, Danny’s eyes grew heavy and his heart started to panic. He turned his body around, halfway, in his chair and placed a concerned hand on Steve’s. “Steven? Babe, you alright?” he asked again, his throat constricting as the words passed through. 

“Hmm?” Steve mumbled, turning his eyes down to Danny, “What’s wrong? You alright?”

A light-headedness made Danny swallowed hard. And the expanding feeling in his chest told him that two days was long enough to wait to discuss the “something” with Steve. He let a sigh escape his nose and turned back around in his chair. “I’m sorry but can I call you back?” he asked whoever was on the other line. Whoever it was must have agreed because, a few seconds later, he hung up his phone, then, he reached out and jerked the wheels of the chair, immediately bringing the chair to a stop. Steve shuffled over his feet, his eyes swiveling him back to reality, and a soft grunt escaped his lips, as he lurched into the back of the chair. “What the hell, Danny?” he scoffed, his eyes widening. 

Danny turned his body and wrinkled his brows at Steve. “I want you to tell me what’s going on with you,” he insisted, the tone of his voice loving but forceful. Steve nodded in agreement, smiling, but dropped his eyes to the ground and began twisting his hands around his wrists. Spotting his partner’s fidgetiness, Danny sighed, shaking his head, slowly, and turned his back to Steve. Then, he reached over the arms of the chair, secured the breaks of the wheelchair down against each wheel, at the same time, crossed his hands over his lap, and turned his gaze towards the walking path. “We’re not moving until you do,” he informed, firmly. 

Steve stopped his hands and sighed, heavily. Then, he shuffled over to a stone bench beside them, slumped himself down onto it, hanging limply over his legs, and dropped his head towards the ground. “I’m sorry for hurting you,” he said, softly, swallowing back the lump in his throat. Steve struggled to find his breath through the fire building inside his chest. 

Danny, slowly, tilted his head toward Steve. “What?” he scoffed, furrowing his eyebrows, “Steve what are you talking about?”

Steve shook his head toward the ground, unable to meet Danny’s eyes. “When you call them back, just put your name on the title. It’s your car…I don’t want to drive it anymore,” he informed, his voice losing all its strength by the end. 

The back of Danny’s neck tingled; Is that what this was about? His heart sunk, as he watched his partner turn feeble, finally succumbing to the emotions he’d been trying so hard to hold back. Danny turned away, running the fingers of his non-broken hand through his hair, and closed his eyes. A small smirk fell across his face, as he nodded, slowly, and turned back toward Steve. Then, ignoring both hospital policy and every bit of pain that shot through his body, he pushed off the arms of the wheelchair, rising from his seat, and crossed over to the bench. Steve lifted his head and his eyes widened, as he saw Danny shuffling towards him. He dropped his jaw, ready to nag his partner out for doing so, and reached his arms out to assist him, but pulled back when Danny sat down beside him. “You know I don’t blame you, right?” Danny asked, groaning softly, squinting his eyes as he looked out toward the trees in front of them. “None of this is your fault.”

Steve ran his hand over his mouth and shook his head. “How is it not my fault, Danny?” he asked, throwing his arms out in defeat. “I couldn’t keep a car from flipping down the highway and it nearly got you killed. Please, tell me how that’s not my fault?” 

“The same way you falling off that cliff at Christmas wasn’t mine,” Danny reminded him, a bit crossly. 

Steve’s eyes widened. In the midst of all this, he’d completely forgotten about his accident on Christmas and how much it had affected Danny, and, for a moment, he forgot how to breathe, as his heart felt as though it were shrinking inside his chest. He took in a deep breath, ran his hands over his face, and cleared his throat. “Danny…I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

Danny placed a hand on Steve’s thigh to comfort him and turned a reassuring smile back towards him, “Don’t apologize, Steven. I remember how I was willing to give up my life, and my job, because I couldn’t handle how sick the guilt I felt from you getting hurt made me.” He stopped and took Steve’s hand in his squeezing it tightly. “I should’ve known you’d be hurt too…you’d just be more stubborn about showing it.” 

Steve scoffed, softly, the corner of his mouth curling. He caressed the side of Danny’s hand with his thumb and Danny responded with a nod. Then, Steve leaned in and pressed a kiss to Danny’s lips, bringing a blush to both their cheeks. When he pulled away, Steve rested his forehead against Danny’s closed his eyes and whispered, “I love you, Danno.” 

*******

A little while later, Grover arrived with the Twins who dog-piled Danny and Steve with happiness the minute he opened the backdoor. The father’s loaded the siblings with hugs and kisses, then, Steve, carefully, assisted Danny inside the truck, before climbing in beside them himself. Once Steve had made it inside, Grover took the wheelchair back inside the hospital. While the tiny Ohana got settled in the backseat—Steve beside Bailey, Danny beside Colton—Danny peered out the window and wrinkled his brow at something outside. Two people exiting the hospital and walking toward their car seemed very familiar to him but, unfortunately, he didn’t have enough time to figure out where he recognized them from before Grover returned and they were on their way home. 

But Danny figured he was probably just tired. It’s not like he knew that many people in Hawaii, outside those in his family, anyway. 

******

That night, Steve and Danny cuddled on the couch, with a twin sleeping soundly on either side of them—Bailey, tucked between Steve’s legs and the couch and Colton, curled up on Danny’s lap—while the video of the Williams-McGarrett wedding played on the TV. While the not-so-distant memories flashed on the screen, Danny leaned into Steve, putting an arm around his chest, and smiled. “Are you still glad we did this?” 

Steve glanced at the TV just as a scene of him and Danny kissing appeared and felt his stomach flutter. He smirked, turning back to the two snoring toddlers beside them, then, swung an arm around Danny to pull him closer. Steve closed his eyes and took a large, deep, savoring breath, pressing his nose against the top of Danny’s head. “Every single day,” he replied, softly, never wanting to leave this spot. While gently running his fingers along the side of Danny’s arm, Steve turned his eyes back to the TV when he heard the song of their slow dance begin to play, letting a grin wash over his face. Steve always enjoyed getting this time with Danny but now that they had the Twins to watch it with them—whether they made it to the end or not—there was something even more special within the memories of that night because, if it wasn’t for them getting married, the Twins (probably) wouldn’t even be in their lives. 

And Bailey and Colton? They made Steve feel safest of all.

******

**Author's Note:**

> **THIS SERIES WILL BE GOING DARK UNTIL (AT LEAST) THANKSGIVING** 
> 
> Due to the increase in school assignments, the COVID-19 pandemic, recent family issues, etc. I really have to put my focus on my school work at the moment. However, since we'll be getting a break from Nov 22nd - Nov 29th, I will do my ABSOLUTE BEST to use that time to begin SEASON 2 of this series. But, if I do not get the chance during Thanksgiving Break, classes END Dec 10th...so then, I'll be free to write as much as I want! So, if you promise to stick around a few more weeks for me, I will try to be back by Thanksgiving...but, if not, I will DEFINITELY be back by Christmas! 
> 
> So, until then, enjoy this series so far, and please feel free to continue to leave feedback for me. It's always appreciated! <3 Thank you all for following this series and the journey of this tiny Ohana! I will see you all soon! Mahalo! <3 
> 
> **BUT WE WILL BE BACK BY CHRISTMAS, I PROMISE! There's so much more to come. Trust me. It's not over yet! There's so much more I have planned for this family! <3 **


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